Engine.



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ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.18 19H.

Patentefl; @0150 29, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. VLK.

ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18 1911.

Patented 001;. 29, 1918.

A. VLK. ENGINE. APPLICATION HLED AUG. 18 I917.

.Pamented We, 29,1k918;

ETYSO 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- I a Fries;

ADOLPH war, or omoaeo, ILLInoIs, assienoniro V-IL-K OSCILIiA'II-NG oron v SYNDICATE, or cn caeo, ILLrnoIs. 1

ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern i Be it known that I, ADoLrH 'VLK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi; c'ago, in the countyoflCook and Stateof Illinois, haveinvented certain new anduses,

ful Improvements in Engines, of which the -following; is a specification.

This invention-relates to an improvement in internal combustion engines, where1n d1ametrically-opposed relatively-fixed pistons are arranged for a reciprocating movement with each movement or semistroke. of one orthe other of the pistons a power or-firing 'stroke,',toimpart-continuous power to a v crank-shaft.

The invention is directed-to providing a pair of opposed pistons, radiating from'a common center, and each operating in an independent cylinder or chamber provided with an inlet and with an exhaust port at each end. Rotary valves are geared from a common source, and timed to" successively connect-an inlet port at the respective ends of a piston chamber to a fuel source, and

also successively connect an exhaust port at the respective ends of a piston chamber to an exhaust manifold. The valves control v the respective chambers in succession, and

are so timed that each piston is-, under a power or firing stroke in both directions of one piston vis under its power-strokes, the.

valves are permitting the clearing and charging of the other piston, hence each semi-stroke of the pistons is a powerstroke,

v section through the improved engine, taken' -on the line 11, Fig.2.

and the power is thereforecontinuous. The valve ports are so formed as to provide for a full charge and acomplete scavenging of the chambers at each operation.

: The invention in a simple and preferred 1 construction will be described in the fol lowing specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a central longitudinal vertical Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the'line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3- is a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig! 1.

Figs. 4,15, 6, and"? are "diagrammatic views, illustrating the successive positions of the pistons and valves throughout a com:

Speci fication of Letters Patent.

, exhaust ports.

shownascommomas are also'the inlet and- V Partenntcdl 0citi29, 191%.. Application filed llugust 18, 191' Serial 186,947;

- The improved'engineis here shown a's conventionally c'omprising a base 1. having "hollow crank-case portion 2, arranged centrally'of' the base, and-"closed, by the usual removable section An engine blocker casing 4 is? arranged above and jremovably secur'ed to the base.

The casing is approximately cylindrical in elevation, and is centrally provided with "concentric with the casing wall are conthe "piston cylinders or chambers, later appear.

spaced partitions 5, which inwardly. of and.

Beyond the partitions 5, in each direcs tion, are arranged valve chambers 7, each formed by spaced partitions 8,-and an endclosingwall 10. The valve chambers 7 x:

tend tothe basal, and communicate with the-crank case] of the latter through openings' 11, through which the operating means for the valves-extend, as hereinafter noted. The valve-chambers "are spaced from the piston chamber,'the spaces between the said I chambers being in communication beyond,

the Wall 6, through openings 9 in the partitions 5.

One ofrthe valve-chamber partitions 8 of i 'that valvev chamber next to=what may be termed the inlet end of the. engine is ar-v ranged to provide a closed bearing offsetlQ,

a similar bearing wall 13' being l-formed from: the other valve-chamber-paitition 8,

as shown; The bearing 12 is closed against the casing, while. the bearing wall 13, is through a partition 14,'utilized to provide a water space 15. The water 'or cooling medium space includes the spaces 15, the spaces 16 between the piston chamber and the-valve chambers, and a space 18-beyond the valve chamber at the inlet end "of the engine, the latter space being enlarged, and having an inlet 19 and outlet 20. I

A piston or power shaft 21 is arranged axially of the casing, being mounted, within the casing, in suitable hearings in offset 12 and onwall 13. 'The shaft isof increased diameter within the piston chamber, and stepped in both directions beyond such chamber. The side partitions of the piston chamber and adjacent valve chambers are formed beyond the shaft enlargement with annular spaces, closed against the water space, to receive bearing "rings 22, preferably spring pressed, and bearing against the ends of the shaft 21 within the piston chamber to insure a non-leaking joint.

saidchambers, imparting a rotary reciprocating movement to the shaft. The space between the piston chambers is taken up with abutment blocks 27. These blocks are hollow, and in open communication with the water space at 23, and are bolted or otherwise secured at 529 to the annular wall (3. The inner walls 30 of the blocks bear onlor form a bearing for the shaft 21, while the end walls 31 of such blocks form the end 'limits of the respective piston chambers.

The partition 5 toward the inlet end of the engine is formed adjacent each abutment block end wall 31 with an opening 32, the opposing partition 5 being similarly formed with identical openings 33. The openings 32 are inlet openings, while the openings 33 are exhaust openings. The construction involves two inlet openings and two exhaust openings for each piston chamber, these respective openings being located at opposite. sides of the piston chamber, and one at each end thereof.

, Mounted in each valve chamber is a valve, one, as 34, bemg 1n the valve chamber adJacent the inlet end of the engine, and hereinafter termed the inlet valve, and the other, as 35,being arranged in the remaining valve-chamber and herein-termed the exhaust valve. These valves are identical in construction, each comprising a disk, mounted for independent rotation on the shaft 21, as through bearings 36, and having peripheral gear teeth 37, for operating purposes.

The valves are each formed with a single opening, 38, 39, respectively, and these openings successively register with the openings or portstinlets or exhausts, as the case may be), of the piston chambers in the rotations of the valves. The piston chamber inlet and exhaust ports are, of course, closed against the water space between the piston chamber and the valve chambers. A crank shaft 40 is mounted in the crank case, and

exhaust ports of the also shown as common.

has gears 41 and 42, which extend through the openings 11 in the valve chambers, and mesh with the respective valves, to continuously operate the latter. The relative positions of the valve openings 38 and 39 isthus constantly maintained.

The ports 32 are inlet ports and the fuel is admitted to such through the inlet valve opening, as the latter registers with such ports. Beyond the inlet valve there is arranged an inlet manifold 43, having an outlet therefrom opening into the inlet valve chamber directly opposite each inlet port 32, the manifold leading from a carbureter, or the like, ll, arranged beyond the engine casing. The inlet manifold is thus entirely within the water space of the casing, and the heat of the water is thus utilized as a vapor izing agent. The ports 33 are exhaust ports, and con'ln'mnicate, through the opening of the exhaust valve, with an exhaust manifold 415, which preferably partially encircles the engine casing, and has, of course, an inlet opening, in alinement with each of the ports 33. l

An ignition element, here shown as a spark plug i6, is arranged at each end of the piston chamber, preferably in line with the opposed inlet and exhaust ports. The ignition timing forms no part ofthe present invention, it being understood that the timing is such as to fire the plugs successively, that is the two plugs for one chamber, one after the other, and then the plu s of the other chamber successively. The ring order is however, in the instance shown, successively in a clock-wise direction.

The shaft 21 is extended beyond the bearing 13, and is provided on such extension connected by pitman 50 to the cranks of the crank-shaft l0. The throw of'the rocker arms under the influence of the pistons will revolve the crank shaft. The end of the shaft 21 is provided with a terminal bearing 51, supported from the base, and. is pro tected by a housing 52 secured to the casing.

In Figs. 4 to 7 is shown diametrically the successive positions of the pistons and valves in a complete cycle of operation. In these figures the valves are shown as one, the inlet and exhaust openings being indicated in their relative positions, and the inlet and piston chambers are Assuming Fig. 4 the initial or startin position, it will be noted that piston 23, in moving toward the right, has drawnin a fresh charge through port 38 of valve 34,

which port has through at least three-fifths of thefull'movement of the piston has been in registry with chamber inlet port This movement of the said piston has also forced the previously fired gases through the exhaust port 33 of the chamber and through pbrt 39 of valve 35. During this stroke of piston 23, the opposite piston 24: has had a .firin'g stroke, The movement, of piston 23 in'tlie opposite direction, under a second u firing stroke of piston 2'11, compresses the charge'previously admitted, and as the inlet ports arenow passingunderthe opposite end of the. chamber, draws in a second charge on the opposite side of the piston. During this second movement of'piston 23, the piston 24 has been exhausting the previously. fired gases from the right-hand side. of such piston, as the exhaust ports are. passing beneath, or in registry with this end of the chamber.' The next stroke of the piston 23 toward the right is a firing stroke,

' during which the piston 24 is drawing in a fresh charge, as the inlet ports are now. passing this end of the lower chamber. The

next stroke of piston toward the left is a firing stroke, duringwhich the piston 24 is compressing the first charge, and drawing in a new charge on the opposite side. This completes a cycleof movement, throughout which one piston is. subjected to two successive firing strokes in opposite directions, while the otherpiston is clearing and draw ing in fresh char'geson both sides of the piston, Eachstroke is therefore a firing stroke, and the shaft 21, andthere fore the crank shaft is under continuous power.

The present invention is not, concerned with an oilingsystem, but there is shown vconventionally an oil' reservoir 58, for communication with alcentral bore in shaft 21,

which bore 54, through ducts 55,- directs-- the oil to the surface of the pistons.

What 1s clalmed as new 1s y 1. In an lnternal COIXlbllSblOIl engine, a stationarycylinder having two transverse stationary abutments dividing said cylinder into two chambers, relatively fixed oscillating pistons operating in and dividing'the chambers into four combustion spaces, and asingle inlet .valve communicating with the combustion spaces in succession;

2. In an internal combustion engine, a sta-'.

tionary cylinder having two transverse stat onary abutments drvidlng said cylinder into two compartments, relatively fixed oscillatingpistons dividing the two compartments into four combustion chambers,

a single inlet valve, a single exhaust valve.

both of said valves communicating with all of said combustion chambers in succession.

3. An internal combustion engine having relatively fixed oscillating p1stons, and a single'inlet valve communicating successively with oppos1te sides of each piston in succes sion.

4. An internalcombustion engine having relatively fixed oscillating pistons, a single inlet valve communicating successively with opposite sides of each piston in succession,

and a single exhaust valve communicating successively with opposite sides of each piston in succession.

5. An internal combustion engine having relatively fixed oscillating pistons, a single inlet valve, and a single exhaust valve, each valve communicating successively with oppos1te sides of each piston in succession, the

exhaust valveoperating in advance of the inlet valve.

6. An internal combustion engine having relatively fixed oscillating, pistons, a single inlet valve, a single exhaust valve, each v'a-lve having a single opening to establish communication with each side of each piston successively, the openings in the valve exceeding oneha-lf the piston movement.

7. In an internal combustion engine, a

power shaft, piston chambers arranged beyond the same, a piston fixed to the shaft and operating in each chamber, each chamber .being formed with two spaced inlet ports and w1th two spaced exhaust ports, a. singlednlet valve communicating successively with all inlet ports," and a'single exhaust valve communicating successively with all exhaust ports, each of said valves having single opening.

8. Inan internal combustion engine, a

.power shaft, piston chambers arranged be yond the shaft, a piston in each chamber and fixed to the shaft, each chamber having.

spaced inlet ports and spaced exhaust ports,

a single inlet valve arranged for successive "reglstrv ,with all lnlet ports, a single exhaust valve arranged for successive registry with all exhaust ports, and. means for simultaneously and synchronously operating bothvalves.

9. In an internal combustion engine, a power shaft, a piston chamber on each side of the shaft, a piston operatin in each" chamber, each chamber having spaced inlet ports and spaced exhaust ports, valve disks loosely-mounted on the shaft beyond the chambers and respectively communicating nvit-h all the inlet and exhaust ports in suc- ..cession, a crank shaft operated by the power shaft, and means operated by the crank shaft for actuating the valve disks.

10. In an internal combustion engine, a

an exhaust valve for successively charging and scavenging opposite sldes of each p1s-' ton in succession, a crank shaft operated by the pistons, and gears secured to thec'ank shaft for operating the valves.

12. An internal combustion engine having relatively-fixed oscillating pistons, and means including a single rotary valve for successively charging each side of each piston and firing the charges of each piston successively, said valve l)C111,Q retained in full open position during more than one-half of.

being retained in full open position during more than one-half of the piston travel.

14. An internal combustion engine having relatively-fixed oscillating pistons, and a single inletvalve communicating successively with opposite sides of each piston in succession, said valve being retained in full open position during more than one-half of the piston travel.

15. An internalcombustion engine comprising a cylinder, a piston operating therein, said cylinder having two spaced inlet ports arranged at the opposite limits of stroke movement of the piston, and a single valve for admitting fuel to'said inlet ports in succession. 1

Intestiinony whereof I affix my signature.

ADOLIH VLK. 

